Harvard to Return Native American Hair from Flandreau Indian School
Published Date: 3/18/2025
Notice
Summary
Harvard's Peabody Museum has finished checking its collection and found two Native American hair samples from the Flandreau Indian School in South Dakota. These remains are linked to the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and will be returned to them starting April 17, 2025. This means the museum is doing its part to respect Native American heritage and return important cultural items.
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Two hair samples to be repatriated
The Peabody Museum identified two Native American hair clippings (one from a person recorded as 15 years old and one as 13 years old, collected between 1930 and 1933 and donated in 1935) that are culturally affiliated with the Bad River Band of the Lake Superior Tribe of Chippewa Indians. Those human remains may be returned to the Bad River Band on or after April 17, 2025.
Other claimants may request repatriation
The notice allows any of the Indian Tribes identified (including the Bad River Band) or any lineal descendant or tribe not identified to submit a written request for repatriation, but a non-identified requestor must show by a preponderance of the evidence that they are a lineal descendant or culturally affiliated. If competing requests are received, the Peabody Museum must determine the most appropriate requestor prior to repatriation; joint requests count as a single request.
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Previous / Next Documents
Previous: 2025-04378, Notice of Inventory Completion: Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
Harvard’s Peabody Museum has finished checking its collection and found hair clippings from a Native American teen linked to the Mooretown Rancheria of Maidu Indians and Round Valley Indian Tribes. These remains, collected long ago at the Sherman Institute in California, are ready to be returned starting April 17, 2025. This means the museum is taking important steps to respect Native communities and their heritage.
Next: 2025-04380, Notice of Inventory Completion: Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
Harvard’s Peabody Museum has finished checking its collection and found some Native American hair clippings from a young Wailaki individual taken in California long ago. These remains are linked to the Grindstone Indian Rancheria tribe, and they can be returned starting April 17, 2025. This means the museum is ready to give back these important cultural items to the right Native community.